1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to electronic commerce and, more particularly, relates to the use of an interactive venue seat map that shows where a user's friends are sitting to help the user select seats when purchasing event tickets, such as for concerts and sporting events.
2. Related Art
The online purchasing of tickets for various events is common. For example, tickets for concerts and sporting events can be purchased from an online ticket seller, such as StubHub, Inc. The tickets can be paid for via a payment provider account, such as that offered by Paypal, Inc. After being paid for, the purchased tickets can then be mailed to the customer w or can sometimes be printed by the customer.
Typically, a customer must select one or more seats when purchasing such tickets. Whether the tickets are being purchased online or from a brick and mortar merchant, a venue map is generally provided to help the customer select the seats. The venue map usually shows the different seating areas and their relationship to an attraction area, such as a stage, game court, or field. Ticket prices for each seating area are provided, either on the map or elsewhere. Thus, a customer can use the venue map to help determine which seats the customer would like to purchase for a particular event.
For example, a more dedicated football fan may be willing to pay more for seats closer to the field than a less dedicated football fan. Further, the venue map can help a customer decide what part of the field the customer wants to be near. The more dedicated football fan may prefer to be close to center field.